Part of her world
by pieperson28
Summary: Ariel always loved humans, their things, their lives, their world. One day disobeying her father she saves someone from a ship wreck in a storm but it might not be who you expect. This is a yuri/femslash story! Ariel and Erica (genderbent Prince Eric) The beginning is slow and scripted, I just got Chapter 4 up and that's where it gets more interesting if you want to skip ahead.
1. Fathoms below

**Authors note!**

**This story is going to start off slow. I mean really slow. It's not going to get too interesting until about Ursula. This beginning is the little mermaid everyone knows and loves and for the most part verbatim with the movie. IF YOU WANT, SKIP TO CHAPTER FOUR, THAT WHERE I START TO CHANGE IT UP. Please bear with me. This is my first fic soooo. Yep. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Gulls fly smoothly on the cool sea air. The clouds are gray but the wind doesn't warn of a storm yet, it blows the fresh cool salty air that fills the massive ships billowing sails. As it crests the waves, you can hear the crew singing.

"I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue  
And it's hey to the starboard, heave ho  
Look out, lad, a mermaid be waiting for you  
In mysterious fathoms below"

A young woman dressed in a pair of blue trousers, high boots, and a collared V-neck with the sleeves rolled up leaned on the upper rails. Her jet black hair whipped around her face as she closed her eyes taking in the refreshing smell of the ocean, her shaggy English Sheepdog by her side. "Isn't this great? The salty sea air, the wind blowing in your face…a perfect day to be at sea eh Grimsby?" The dog barked in agreement.

Grimsby propped himself up on the other rail to glare at the girl, "Oh yes…delightful!" she chuckled as she watched her care taker and best friend (besides her dog of course) leaned over the rail, green again.

"A fine strong wind and a following sea. King Triton must be in a friendly type mood!" said one of the sailors pulling on the rigging.

The girl jumped down to the main deck to help secure the rope, "King Triton?" her blue eyes brightened, intrigued by the sailor's story.

"Why, the ruler of the merpeople lass! thought every good sailor knew about him." Said another older sailor unloading the fish that were just hauled in from the nets.

Erica leaned down to pet her shaggy dog. She rubbed his ears as Grimsby staggered down the steps having caught ahold of his stomach for the moments.

"Merpeople! Erica, pay no attention to this nautical nonsense." He said straightening his tie and fixing his hair.

"But it ain't nonsense, it's the truth! I'm tellin' you!" the older sailor said shaking one of his fish at Grimsby. "Down in the depths o' the ocean they live!" he waved his arms and Erica smiled as they edged closer to the rails. Suddenly the fish slipped out of his hands. Flopping wildly it slapped Grimsby several times in the face before it got itself completely over the edge and back down into the ocean where it breathed a big sigh of relief.

"From whence wayward Westerlies blow  
Where Triton is king and his merpeople sing  
In mysterious fathoms below"

* * *

After a moment the fish started off again. Through the kelp, scaring the colorful plumes of the barnacles, it ignored them and kept swimming. It swam for a while with a school of angel fish before turning off. Past the jellyfish, in through the caves, deeper and deeper it swam. The whales told him he only had a little farther to go until, there! Finally! In the dark depths of the ocean sat the shinning merpeople's palace.

There was a grand concert tonight, fish and merpeople from all around gathered in King Triton's massive concert hall to see the presentation of his youngest daughter.

The trumpet fish sound the grand fanfare and the concert is set to begin. A small seahorse with a ruffle enters the hall and clears his throat.

"Ahem . . . His royal highness, King Triton!"

The crowd cheers as the mer-king enters the hall. A trio of dolphins pulls a large shell carriage and the trumpets and audience cheer. His crown and trident, the symbols of his throne glint as he circles around over the people's heads. With one last lap, the dolphins bring him towards the ceiling and his trident begins to glow. With a wave he sends a bolt of energy into the chandelier above creating a rain of sparks on the crowd.

"And presenting the distinguished court composer, Horatio Thelonious Ignatius Crustaceous Sebastian!" the little seahorse announces with a flourish.

A trumpet sounds and a small shell carriage exits the large doorway from where the king came from. The little red crab smiles and waves at the crowd before almost losing his balance as the two goldfish pulling his shell speed up and lurch. They pull up next to the kind who is smiling and waving easily in control of his own mounts.

"I'm really looking forward to this performance Sebastian."

Sebastian chuckled and waved his claw, "Oh, Your Majesty, this will be the finest concert I have ever conducted." The king's carriage came to a rest in the high balcony and Sebastian turned around to continue. Your daughters - they will be spectacular!" the fish lurched again causing Sebastian to flip his shell.

Triton chuckled at the crab's efforts trying to crawl back into his shell to continue to the directors podium. "Yes, and especially my little Ariel."

"Yes, yes, she has the most beautiful voice…" he said proceeding to the stand and muttering under his breath, "If only she'd show up for rehearsals once in a while…"

The strings begin tuning and the lights dim until only a single spotlight shines through the dark onto the little crab. His ride comes to a stop and straightens out his shell, nodding in acknowledgement of the crowd's applause before bending over and pulling out a scare book and baton larger than he is. The room is silent as he traps the orchestra to attention on the stand. He raises his hands and in a massive down beat the music starts. An upbeat tune starts and a curtain of bubbles is pulled back to reveal a stage with three large clams set on them.

The clams open to show two girls in each of the shells who begin singing. "Ah, we are the daughters of Triton.

Great father who loves us and named us well" Triton puffs out his chest in pride over his daughters as they begin their solos introducing themselves.

"Aquata,"

"Andrina,"

"Arista,"

"Atina,"

"Adella,"

"Allana."

"And then there is the youngest in her musical début," a fourth shell rises up and the sisters surround it ready to present the youngest.

"Our seventh little sister, we're presenting her to you," Sebastian waves his arms grinning back at the king. It was time for the big finale.

"To sing a song Sebastian wrote, her voice is like a bell,"

"She's our sister, Ar-i.." the shell opens and everybody lets out a collective gasp. Sebastian throws his baton in shock and turns around cringing.

Triton is standing up, his weapon glowing as he angrily shakes his head. "Ariel!"


	2. Are you sure there aren't any sharks?

**Authors note!**

**Yeah! Another chapter! Enter, Ariel and Flounder. Thanks so much, this is so new and I really appreciate the two follows and one fav! :) Hopefully I'll get a third chapter up tonight too. Then we'll get to see a little more Erica.**

* * *

"Whoa." The missing mermaid gasped looking over the mast of the sunken ship.

A small yellow and blue stripped fish panted as he tried to catch up "Ariel, wait for me!"

"Flounder! Hurry up!" Ariel called waving for her friend to go faster.

"You know I can't swim that fast." He whined.

"There it is." Said Ariel pointing a larger ship they hadn't explored yet. "Isn't it fantastic?"

"Yeah, sure…it- it's great. Now let's get out of here." He turned to leave the creepy old shipyard but Ariel caught his fin.

She dragged him back and started towards the dark wreck "You're not getting cold fins now, are you?"

Flounder scoffed and followed her, "Who, me? No way. It's just, it, err…it looks…damp in there. Yeah! And I think I may be uh…" he shivered. Up close the looming old ship was every scarier. "I think I'm coming down with something. Yeah, I've got this cough."

Ariel was peering in through one of the broken stern windows and rolled her eyes at her friends fake coughing.

"All right." She said looking at him coyly "I'm going inside. You can just stay here and watch for sharks." She easily fit her slender frame through the window.

"O.K. yeah, you go. I'll stay and- what?! Sharks!" Flounder looked around quickly in a panic before deciding it was safe to turn his back on the outside. "Ariel!" He gasped trying to squeeze in the window "I can't…I mean- Ariel help!"

She laughed and turned back around to help her stout friend who got stuck in the narrow porthole. "Oh Flounder."

"Oof, Ariel." He grunted and with one last strong tug and he went through the window with a small pop. "Do you really think there might be sharks around here?"

"Flounder, don't be such a guppy."

"I'm not a guppy…" he muttered following Ariel who had swum down into a lower level.

"This is great - I mean, I really love this." He said looking around at all the old trunks and debris trying to keep his teeth from chattering, "Excitement, adventure, danger lurking around every corn-"

Suddenly he was face to face with an old skull, "YAAAAHHHHHHHH! Ariel! Oof!" Flounder threw himself back away from the frightening object and crashed into a pillar. There was a loud crash as the old beam started to fall tearing a hole into the deck above. He jumped forwards crashing into a surprised Ariel's arms knocking her over.

"Aw, are you ok?" she cooed holding the small trembling fish in a hug.

"Yeah sure, no problem." He stuttered "I'm okay…" he said slowly floating out of Ariel's arms regaining his nerves after that skull that just popped out of nowhere scared the daylights out of him. This place is so weird! Who even just keeps a skull around like that!

"Shh!" said Ariel as if she could hear his thoughts and they were distracting from this search for treasure. Looking up at the hole Flounder made when he hit the pillar, it only took a second for her to decide to skip the rest of the hull and go up to the next level.

She peered over the edge of the hole and her eyes swept around examining the new space. It was large and open, the sides were all made of glass so you could see out into gloom of the ocean and sitting in the middle of the room on a pile of over turned boards was-

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" Ariel swam over and picked up the shinning item in question, "Have you ever seen anything so wonderful in your entire life?" It was a bright shining silver in the low light. A stick with three prongs on it, not dissimilar to her father's trident.

"Wow, cool!" Said Flounder more happy that his friend had found the treasure she was searching for than anything. "But, errr, what is it?"

Ariel shook her head with a thoughtful smile "I don't know. But I bet Scuttle will." She put the fork in her bag when something else caught her eye, failing to notice the dark shadow that swam past the windows. Flounder however, didn't and his dorsal fins stood up as he turned catching only a glimpse of the shape in the corner of his eye.

"What was that? Did you hear something?" he swam towards the window peering out but couldn't make out much in the gloom.

"Hmm, I wonder what this one is?" she said distractedly looking at a pipe on an old broken desk.

"Ariel…" Flounder stuttered nervously turning away from the windows trying to get his friend to notice him.

She ignored him still trying to figure out the object in her hand. "Flounder, will you relax. Nothing is going to happen."

Flounder felt a strange feeling and a shiver up his spine told him to turn around just as a massive shark was opening its mouth to break through the windows. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Run! Run!" he shrieked as the shark chased him around the room crashing into the floor and ceiling.

"We're gonna die!" he screamed slamming into Ariel again. Her eyes went wide as she quickly pushed the old desk into the sharks snapping jaws. It blocked the way out and she swam back into the room, pushing a nearby barrel into its mouth before taking a different path, up the stairs and out.

They were half way along a hallway that seemed way to long when the shark burst up through the floorboards catching Flounder halfway down its throat and almost catching Ariel too. They both backtracked quickly, the little fish able to swim out before the sharp trap closed.

The shark crunched through the floorboards as if they were saltines, making the two smaller swimmers faster. They were almost too another staircase when Ariel's bag was caught on a piece of broken wood that was sticking out. Ignoring the gashing jaws of the shark Ariel dove back and up as the sharks jaws closed around where her back used to be.

"Oh no!" said Flounder bracing himself as he hit a porthole and once again got stuck halfway through. The shark forced its way up just as Ariel pushed the little fish out and she quickly followed. The swam away nearing an old mast as the shark smashed through the wall of the ship and chased them up around and around. As they neared the top Flounder turned back smashing into the top cross-bar of the mast sinking down with a dazed look on his face. Dropping her bag Ariel swam back, reaching through the hole of an anchor to catch her friend.

The shark was blind with rage, gnashing its teeth as it drew closer and closer to its prey on thinking about the anchor. Ariel pulled back at the last moment and the shark slammed into the anchor hole effectively trapping itself.

Ariel smiled and picked up her bag that she had dropped trying to save her friend. Flounder who had regained his sense taunted the shark, no longer afraid now that it was subdued. "You big bully!" he blew a raspberry and the shark angrily lunged at the small fish sending him running back to Ariel who was headed towards Scuttle and the surface.

Ariel just laughed, "Flounder, you really are a guppy."

"I am not!"

* * *

**By the way, you don't have to comment on how the stories going or anything but telling me about grammatical errors would be great because I'm mildly dyslexic. Horray, for spell check! Thanks again for reading.**


	3. Dinglehoppers and snarfblats

**Authors note!**

**With Christmas Eve and Christmas coming up I might not have much time to write in the next few days. So I wrote this one quick. Like really quick because I also really wanted to get this finished before I went to bed tonight. So I apologize ahead of time for the errors (of which there are probably an extra many) and yay two chapters in one day! We'll finally get to see more Erica in the next one I promise.**

* * *

On a lone rock, far out in the middle of the ocean, a lone seagull sat on an old crow's nest that was stuck in the crag. Humming an off-key sailors song he reclined back playing with an old telescope, looking through it this way and that, bouncing it on his head.

"Scuttle!"

The seagull's expression brightened and he flipped the telescope off his head and looking through it backwards called in an obnoxiously loud voice, "Whoa! Mermaid off the port bow!" he leaned forwards and the mermaid smiled at her foolish friend. "Ariel, how you doin' kid?" he lowered the spyglass and smiled his voice returning to the usual level when she suddenly became closer. "Whoa, what a swim!"

"Scuttle, look what we found!" she laughed putting her bag on the rock.

Flounder nodded and gestured wildly, "Yeah, we were in this sunken ship. It was really creepy."

"Human stuff huh?" he pulled an anchor out of the crow's nest and dropped it not realizing it was tied to his leg dropped it down pulling him with. Shaking himself off he stepped on Flounder's head and reached into Ariel's bag.

"Look at this! Wow, this is special." He said turning the fork around, "This is very, very unusual."

"What? What is it?" Ariel asked eagerly.

"It's a dinglehopper!" he said leaning forwards holding the item up in both wings. "Humans use these little babies." He bent the fork almost dropping it but managing to awkwardly catch it, "To straighten their hair out." He stuck the fork on his head a twirled it around. "See, just a little twirl here an' a yank there and voiolay!" he pulled the fork and a chunk of feathers out causing the rest to poof out violently. "You got an aesthetically pleasing configuration of hair that humans go nuts over!"

He handed it to Ariel who stared at it reverently, "A dinglehopper!"

"What about that one?" asked Flounder pointing to the pipe.

"Ah! This I haven't seen in years. This is wonderful!" he said examining the pipe before holding it up for the others to see. "A banded, bulbous – snarfblat!"

"Ooooohhh." Said Ariel and Flounder looking at each other in amazement. Even though the seagull seemed crazy, he really knew a lot about human things.

"Now, the snarfblat dates back to prehistorical times, when humans used to sit around, and stare at each other, all day." He said pressing his face up against Ariel's to emphasize his point. "Got very boring. So, they invented the snarfblat to make fine music. Allow me!" he took a deep breath and blew hard into the pipe causing some bubbles and seaweed to come out the end.

"Music? Oh the concert!" Ariel gasped picking up her things and putting them in her bag. "Oh my gosh, my father's gonna kill me!" she said to Scuttle who was coughing and contemplating the pipe.

"Maybe you could make a little planter out of it or somethin'" Scuttle mumbled shaking the pipe.

Flounder groaned "Oh man the concert was today?"

"Uh I'm sorry!" Ariel said grabbing the pipe and shoving it back in her bag. "I've gotta go. Thank you Scuttle!" She waved one last time before diving below the surface to face her father's wrath.

"Anytime sweetie, anytime."

* * *

As she and Flounder swam they were unaware they had two rather malicious followers. The eels grinned evilly peering out from under a rocky ledge as their eyes began to glow.

"Yeeeeeess, hurry home princess." A dark voice chuckled, watching the pair swim in a magical glowing orb. "We wouldn't want to miss old daddy's celebration now would we?"

Ursula, the octopus witch of the sea leaned back in her rocky perch with a scowl. "Huh! Celebration indeed. Bah! In MY day, we had fantastical feasts when I lived in the palace."She grabbed one of the trembling shrimp off her oyster plate and popped it in her mouth with a satisfied slurp.

"And now look at me! Wasted away to practically nothing! Banished, and exiled, and practically starving while he and his flimsy fish-folk celebrate!" she ranted leaning over the edge of her seat her rather large girth shifting a bit. She sat up and slid down out of her shell, her large tentacles swirling around her. Pacing she angrily pounded a fist into her hand. "Well, I'll give 'em something to celebrate soon enough. Flotsam! Jetsam!" she yelled at her crystal ball surprising the two eels with her sudden outburst.

"I want you to keep an extra close watch on this pretty little daughter of his." They smiled evilly and set off to do their masters bidding. Ursula's tentacles curled around her as she began hatching a rather terrible evil plan. _Yes_. "She may be the key to Triton's undoing…"

* * *

Flounder rubbed his fins together as he anxiously listened to his friend's sentence just outside the throne room. "I just don't know what we're going to do with you young lady." The merking sighed.

Ariel shifted, head down hands behind her back, she really was sorry she had missed the concert. "Daddy, I'm sorry, I just forgot, I-"

"As a result of your careless behavior-" he interrupted waving a hand.

Sebastian in turn interrupted the king from behind his crown "Careless and reckless behavior!"

"The entire celebration was, er-" Triton paused, he was angry but he still loved his daughter and didn't want to seem too harsh.

"Well, it was ruined!" The crab fumed popping out of Triton's beard. "That's all. Completely destroyed!" he waved his claws in front of Ariel and sighed, "This concert was to be the pinnacle of my distinguished career. Now thanks to you I am the laughing-stock of the entire kingdom!"

Flounder understood if it was her father admonishing Ariel for her behavior but the little crab was yelling at Ariel because his ego was hurt and that was just wrong. "But it wasn't her fault!" he said getting up in the crabs and subsequently the kings face. He blushed as the king glared at him and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Ah- well – first ah… this shark chased us, yeah, yeah! And we tried to- but we couldn't- and – grrrrrrrrrr – and we – whooaaaaa." The little fish stuttered at a loss for the right words but he quickly got caught up in his impromptu story telling. "Oh, and then we were safe. But then this seagull came and it was this is this and that is that and- oh!" he slapped his fins over his mouth realizing his mistake.

"Seagull? What? Oh- you went up to the surface again didn't you? Didn't you!?" Triton stood up. His amused face at the fishes stuttering story quickly changed to one of anger.

Ariel grimaced and shrugged trying to calm down her father while Flounder hid in her hair. "Nothing - happened…"

"Oh Ariel, how many times must we go through this?" the king threw his hands up in exasperation rolling his eyes, "You could been seen by one of those barbarians! By – by one of those humans!"

Ariel frowned at her father's choice of words towards the creatures she loved, "Daddy they're not barbarians!"

"They're dangerous." He insisted glaring right back at his daughter. She hadn't seen the things Triton had. She hadn't seen the nets or the fishing grounds that killed hundreds of innocent fish every day. Triton was king of the sea, everything in it was his to watch and care for didn't she understand that? "Do you think I want to see my youngest daughter snared by some fish-eater's hook?" he said gently tilting up her chin so maybe she might see the sad truth in his eyes.

Ariel turned her head away at her father's gesture. He was treating her like child! She knew the dangerous of man and their hooks. She went to explore shipwrecks not fishing grounds did he think she was a fool? "I'm sixteen years old – I'm not a child anymore-" she said defiantly.

"Don't you take that tone of voice with me young lady."

"Well-"

He shook his head angrily. "As long as you live under my ocean, you'll obey my rules!"

Unable to put her word in edge wise she spoke rapidly as her father paused, desperate to get him to understand. "But if you would just listen-"

"Not another word!" he said turning away from her. "And I am never, NEVER to hear of you going to the surface again. Is that clear?"

Ariel puffed her chest out to reply but quickly deflated as she felt her lower lip tremble as the tears welled up in her eyes. She fled choking back a small sob with Flounder following hot on her tail.

Triton slumped back on his throne, the anger he had felt early quickly disappeared as he watched his daughter flee the throne room crying.

"Hm! Teenagers, they think they know everything!" Sebastian said smugly trying to console the king. "You give them an inch, they swim all over you."

Triton lifted his head off his hand and looked hesitantly over at his consort "Do you uh, think I- I was too hard on her?"

"Definitely not." Said Sebastian shaking his head with determined conviction. "Why, if Ariel was my daughter I'd show her who was boss. None of this, 'flitting to the surface' and other such nonsense. No, sir – I'd keep her under tight control."

Triton straighten up and you could practically see the light bulb over his head. "You're absolutely right Sebastian."

"Of course." The crab smirked crossing his arms.

"Ariel needs constant supervision."

He nodded in assent "Constant."

"Someone to watch over her – to keep her out of trouble."

He crossed his arms behind his back "All the time-"

"And YOU are just the crab to do it!" he said poking Sebastian in the chest and his face fell.

He grudgingly accepted his charge and the king dismissed him. "How do I get myself into these situations? I should be writing symphonies, not tagging along after some headstrong teenager." He threw his hands up in despair and shook his head. He rounded the corner and his self-pity quickly changed into curiosity as she saw Ariel and Flounder look around suspiciously before quickly swimming off.

"Hmm? What is that girl up to?" the little crab struggled to follow the two of them, collapsing on a rock when they finally reached their destination that was far away from the busy city. The two looked around again before Ariel pulled a large stone back revealing a small cave dug into the rock. Sebastian hopped up and scurried quickly to follow them, barely making it through the door as the rock slid back into place over his legs.

He gasped trying to free himself as quietly as possible. Pulling on a small plant growing in the sand he managed to pull himself out from under the rock, his momentum sending him flying where he came to a stop hitting a strange object. He groaned and rubbed his head, before he gasped, pain quickly forgotten as he gazed at the cave that lay before him.

* * *

**Oh my! What's in the cave? Haha, you know, all those- those, who's-its! And what's-it's! ;) Thanks for reading! :) Merry Christmas!**


	4. A Ship, a storm, and a girl

**Authors Note!**

**Finally, thank you winter break! It's going to change more now, going to get interesting, less scripted. Thanks for reading! **

* * *

The small fishes voice was filled with worry for his friend "Ariel are you ok?"

Ariel was lying on a rock in the center of the room and frowned turning the dinglehopper around in herhands.

"If only I could make him understand. I just don't see things the way he does. I don't see how a world that makes such wonderful things, could be bad."

Sebastian covered his mouth to prevent himself from screaming, or maybe from fainting. No he still felt like fainting. His eyes grew wider every second he listened to the private conversation. He and well, every other fish in the sea knew about the little mermaid's fascination with humans but he didn't expect it to go to this level of obsession.

He quickly reined in his shock as he peered around a harp ready to give that girl a talking to.

"Look at this stuff. Isn't it neat?"

Ariel sang and for a second time Sebastian stopped. The cave was small around, but it was deep, going far under the sea floor a small hole at the top opening up allowing light in. The limestone sides had been carved by the tides of the ocean into shelves, it was the perfect secret place for Ariel's collection.

Glasses, pocket watches, cases full of things Sebastian didn't know the names of. It was stunning actually.

"But who cares, no big deal. I want more." Sang Ariel with a shrug.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, more?

"I wanna be where the people are. I wanna see, wanna see em' dancin'. Walkin' around on those. Wadda ya call em? Oh. Right. Feet." Flounder laughed as she playfully tugged at his tail fin.

Humph. Sebastian rolled his eyes but followed them as they swam up Ariel staring longingly at the surface. Scowling Sebastian came face to face with his reflection distorted in a vase and swam quickly backward into a strange kettle.

He shook the thing trying to escape when it started to roll. Towards the edge of the shelf, _no no no_!

Off the edge, it shattered and Sebastian flew out onto a jack in the box. Grabbing vainly for something to stop his fall his claw caught a sheet and he pulled it and all the other items stacked on in down. Flounder hid in an old knight's helmet startled at the sudden noise and Ariel gasped.

"Sebastian!"

The little crabs scowl somehow got deeper as he was all tangled up in Ariel's human junk.

A teapot on his back, a pipe in his mouth on top of an accordion and all wrapped up in necklaces. He angrily spat out the pipe and fell off the squeaking instrument dislodging most of the things from his back.

"Ariel! What are you! How could you! What is all this!"

"It's uh- my collection..." She said wringing her hands nervously.

"Oh. I see. Your collection." Sebastian nodded smiling at a hook that's string was caught around his leg. "If your father knew about this!"

Flounder darted over getting right up in Sebastian's face "You're not gonna him tell are you?"

Ariel pleaded along with him. "Aw please Sebastian he would never understand."

"Ariel. You're under a lot of pressure down here." He said changing his tactic now trying to placate the headstrong teen. "Come with me," he said grabbing her hand "I'll take you home and get you something warm to drink."

Ariel broke out of Sebastian's grip and stared up.

"What do you suppose?" A large shadow passed over the cave blocking out the small hole of light at the top."

"Ariel?" Sebastian reached for her hand again but she was already out of the cave staring up at the dark shadow. The silhouette of a boat drifted dark on the surface being lit up by colorful lights whose explosions could be heard underwater.

"Ariel!" She swam quickly up brushing her bangs and water out of her eyes as they covered her face. The boat was magnificent, it's three sails made an amazing out line in front if the full moon and lights danced around on the deck and in the sky.

She giggled as Flounder and Sebastian surfaced next to her.

"Ariel, what are you- jumping jellyfish!" Sebastian almost fainted again failing at first to notice the reason she had come up.

"Ariel! Ariel! Please come back!" He called out but the girl was already gone swimming towards a new adventure.

* * *

Erica laughed at the look on Grimsby's as she danced. He had forced her into a long skirt that was the same color as the breaches she normally wore but she had insisted on keeping her boots, red belt and shirt. Twirling again with a joyous laugh as Max barked along happily at the sailor's feet she was swept away by another sailor to jig. She broke away to a more open area on deck and looked around.

"Max here boy." She whistled. The dog stopped sniffing at the rails and ran over to Erica with a happy bark. "Hey come on mutt. Watcha doin'?" She ruffled his shaggy hair and he jumped on her almost knocking her over trying to lick her face. "Come on Max." She laughed trying to push him and his fishy tongue off her. "Good boy. Good boy." She petted him as he barked again and stopped trying to knock her over.

"You want some music eh Max? Dance with me silly dog." She pulled out her pipe and played an upbeat tune leaping around as Max barked again lunging at her "dancing". She finished her tune and Grimsby grabbed her shoulders and sat her down on a barrel.

He walked out into the middle of the dancing sailors and raised his arms calling above the music.

"Silence." He strode over to Erica with a flourishing bow "It is now my honor and privilege to present our _esteemed_ Princess Erica with a very special, very _expensive_, very large birthday present."

"Aw Grimsby, you old beanpole you shouldn't have." Laughed Erica slapping him on the shoulder staring thoughtfully at the thing covered in a sheet with a ribbon around it.

"I know." He said smugly. The crew applauded and one of the crew moved to pull off the sheet.

"Happy birthday Erica." There was a collective gasp and 'whoa' from everyone on deck except Grimsby and Erica. She grimaced and Max growled at the statue that was uncovered. The large marble thing was a 12 foot statue of Erica, hair done up, formal dress and cape swirling around her as her foot rested on a large shield with a huge ornate letter e embossed on it.

"Gee Grim." She coughed moving closer looking it up and down. "It's ah- it's ah, really somethin'." She rubbed the back of her head awkwardly feeling the mats and salt in it and enjoying that more than the statue.

"Yes I commissioned it myself." He said proudly stepping up next to Erica to enjoy the fine present he got for her. "Of course I had hoped it would be a WEDDING present."

Her face fell and she strode over to the rail turning her back to Grim and the statue. "C-come on Grim. You're not still sore I didn't fall for the prince of Glowerhaven are you?" She said with a dry laugh.

"Oh Erica it isn't me alone. The entire kingdom wants to see you happily settled down with the right man."

She rested her head in her hands. _I'm going to tell him. I'm going to tell him here and now. Maybe then he'll stop setting me up on blind dates that will forever be destined to fail. I can do it, just, deep breath._ "I'm never going to find him Grim."

"Oh Erica stop it!" He finally noticed the change of mood and walked over putting a hand on her back. "He's out there somewhere, you just haven't found him yet." Erica relaxed and the rare form of comfort Grim had given her but then quickly shook the hand off.

"You don't understand Grim! No MAN will ever be right for me..." She muttered the last part wiping away the angry tears that had suddenly formed at the corners of her eyes.

He shook his head unable to understand what she was implying "Erica?"

She glared up at him through blurry lashes, "I'll never find the right MAN Grim. There will never be a king for our kingdom. A queen is what I need."

Grimsby stumbled back in shock the full meaning of her worlds hit him no better than if he was struck with lightning. A flash lit the sky followed by several more crashing down with loud booms that unfortunately weren't fireworks.

"Hurricane a comin'!" Called one of the sailors breaking the silence that had fallen between the two.

"Stand fast! Secure the rigging!" Yelled another from the crow's nest. The ship began to heave, the sea and wind suddenly becoming violent. Erica scowled glaring at Grim one last time before running off to help with the ropes.

_The look on his face! I knew he wouldn't understand. I can't believe. _She shook her head, _focus!_ She grabbed a pile and set off to work to secure the sails. Rain started to pelt down hard and stinging. She heard Max barking frantically as he tried to avoid being stepped on by the crew but she couldn't take her attention off the slippery straining rope in her hands.

"Tie er' down!"

"Get the buckets for bail!"

"Get the life boat ready!"

With a final heave she managed to tie down the rope and turned to look for another job. The bell was ringing adding to the clamor of the wind and thunder.

"Woah!" She looked up just as a flash of lighting cracked across the sky and the captain was torn from the wheel. It spun madly out of control and she almost lost her balance as the ship suddenly keeled dangerously to the left. Erica staggered towards the stairs holding onto the rail as the ship cut down across a swell at a sharp angle.

She coughed as a wave crashed over the deck soaking her and knocking over the sailors desperately bailing like bowling pins. The boat creaked and groaned and the bell seemed to ring even louder. She hesitated only a second before grabbing out of control wheel. Wincing in pain she threw all of her weight into the task of turning it back on course.

"Erica!" A soaking wet figured called trying to pull himself up to the top deck.

"Grimsby?!"

A sailor approached from the other side "Need a hand there princess?"

They both made it too her at about the same time a large flash of lightning lit up the sky followed by a crack instead of a boom as it struck the mast. The night was lit by a new source of light as the mast burst into flames that seared hairs despite the pelting rain.

Suddenly dark jagged rocks loomed out of the crashing waves "Look out!" Erica jumped ship diving into the swirling waves.

"Princess!" She gratefully grabbed the outstretched hand and was pulled into the life boat.

She quickly scanned the people in the boat. "Grimsby!" She spotted her mentor flailing around in the water "Grim ha-hang on!" She grabbed him by his collar and hoisted him out of the water into the boat.

"Erica-" he said almost seeming, sorry?

Barking from the burning wreck of the ship interrupted the man "Max!"

Without a second thought Erica dove back into the water swimming towards the burning wreck and her best friend. A few powerful strokes and she was climbing up the side of the hull. Jumping nimbly on deck she looked around before diving out of the way of the mast that was falling down on itself crashing through the deck where she was just standing.

The flame spread down into the lower decks creeping towards the gunpowder and fireworks storage. Erica knew she had to hurry looking around she saw Max was trapped on the top deck that was surrounded in flames. Barking and running around frantically the whites of his eyes rolled back on fear.

"Jump Max! Come on boy jump! You can do it Max!" The voice of his master cut through the terror and his eyes focused on Erica standing below arms outstretched.

He launched himself off into Erica's arms who staggered a bit before sprinting towards the rail. She stepped on a loose board and with a sharp crack it broke trapping her foot. She fell forwards with momentum into the rail, the wind getting knocked out of her and Max flying out of her arms over the edge. With a grunt she pulled at her leg gasping as she felt the flames grow warmer and closer on her back.

Grimsby pulled the dog onto the life boat and called to the girl. Why was she still on the wretched boat! "Erica!"

He saw her look over the rails with a look of panic on her face before the ship exploded in massive ball of flame.

"Erica!"

* * *

Ariel's expression of shock was similar to the crews when she saw the ship explode. However unlike the sailors in their boat being unable to get too close to the burning wreckage Ariel could swim under and around. She swam around frantically not noticing the burning wreckage falling from the sky or the interesting human things floating around her.

_There!_ She swam over just as Erica's unconscious body slipped off a board and started to sink. The skinny girl's body was surprisingly heavy as Ariel pulled it back to the surface and away from the terrors of that night. The journey to shore was about half a league and it took all night to get there but they had made it and just as the sun was coming over the horizon Ariel pulled the body up on shore and was lying next to it watching for any signs of life.

Scuttle flew down and landed next to Erica's head.

"Is she, dead?" Scuttle pulled one of her eyes open and shook his head.

"It's hard to say." He walked quickly down to and picked up one of her feet and held it up to her ear. "Oh aww. I. I can't make out a heartbeat." He said his face falling. Ariel frowned but then a hopeful expression spread across her face

"No look! She's breathing!" The breath rasped in and out of the unconscious girls mouth and Ariel brushed back a piece if the long black hair from her face.

"She's so beautiful." He heart swelled like it did last night when she had first laid eyes upon her and she felt the need to sing. The girl had made such wonderful music on her snarfblat last night.

"What would I give to live where you are? What would I lay to stay here beside you?" She cupped her face gently stroking her cheek.

"What would I do to see you, smiling at me?" Sebastian and Flounder washed up on shore exhausted from last night's storm and when they saw Ariel and the human Sebastian's jaw dropped.

"Where would we walk, where would we run. If we could stay all day in the sun. Just you and me and I could be, part of your world."

Ariel smiled as she felt Erica stir beneath her. Her hand was surprisingly soft as it stroked Ariel's arm a small smile spreading on her face as her eyes slowly blinked open.


	5. Ariel in love?

**Authors Note!**

**Oh my lord! Reviews, favorites, follows! Thanks you sooooo much! You have no idea how surprised and amazingly happy I was when I checked my email (I may or may not have victory danced a little). However this only makes me feel worse, I haven't posted in you know, forever. School has been kicking my butt since I came back from Winter break and I haven't had time. However, thank you Martin Luther King Jr. I now have Monday off! Another chapter! (hopefully) From here on out, I'm thinking maybe a chapter every weekend. With the motivation of you guys I'm going to work extra hard to make it happen. Soooo, here we go!**

* * *

Erica came to slowly, the warm hand and a beautiful singing drawing her out of unconsciousness. As she slowly blinked a face surrounded in a halo of golden light came into focus and for a moment everything was perfect. Then she heard the more familiar sound of Max barking and with one last gently caress the girl was gone.

"Erica?" Max bounded over licking her on the face over and over again as she tried to sit up and see the girl who had saved her.

"Erica!" Grimsby let out a sigh of relief helping the girl up. "You really delight in causing these sadistic strains on my blood pressure, don't you?"

She rubbed her head that started spinning after standing up. "A girl." She stumbled towards the ocean. "There was a girl but...Grimsby? Why are you?"

"Erica." He caught the girl as she was about to fall. "My dear I will always come for you. After last night. However you feel. I support you. And I'm sure your kingdom will come to feel the same."

"Grim." She smiled wearily trying to give him a hug. "I love you Grim you crazy old thing."

"Haha yes of course dear." He returned the sentiment before putting his shoulder under her arm to help her back into the castle. "Ah now Erica I think you've swallowed a bit too much sea water. Off we go now. Come on Max."

The adrenaline and daze from seeing the girl slowly wore off and Erica began to feel what had happened last night. Her head was spinning, her muscles ached, she had lost her boots somehow and her feet were cut up and the ankle she had got caught in the floor of the burning ship was red and swollen. About halfway up the stairs to her bedroom she began ranting about the girl she had seen. The one who had rescued her and how she had to go back down to the sea and find her. Grimsby had simply nodded, murmuring words of assurance and laid the sick girl down and wincing when he felt her burning hot forehead.

"Carlotta! Quickly fetch a doctor will you?" The pudgy maid had run to draw the bath her master would need when she had heard Erica was found but when Grimsby yelled for the doctor she dropped her things and headed into town. The royal doctor, a short man, with a youthful look, (very much Grims opposite), Doctor Pyamiphis (Pie-am-a-fus) had also dropped his things to follow the maid back to the castle when she told him the princess was sick.

Grimsby had only left her side when he had some of the other maids around the castle change her out of her grimy torn clothes and into a fresh nightgown. When they were done he ordered everyone out but on standby until the doctor and Carlotta returned while he sat at her side holding onto the pale girl's hand.

"Oh Erica. This wasn't supposed to happen. You'll be alright you foolish stubborn girl."

The doctor knocked walking into the room slightly out of breath "Grimsby."

"Doctor! So good you came." He stood up and the doctor took his place at the side of the bed putting his doctor's kit down on the floor. He checked her temperature, breathing and pulse with Grimsby anxiously hovering before getting slightly annoyed.

"You said there was something wrong with her ankle?"

"Yes. Her left one."

"Alright. Could you, please? Maybe move-, I mean….Over- the hall perhaps? This requires a bit more space see and just-" He stuttered making a small shoo-ing motion.

He cleared his throat adjusting his scarf embarrassed "Oh. Yes of course! I'll be right out in the er, the hall then…if you need me."

With a sigh now that he had a better amount of space to focus he got to work on the physical injuries. About an hour later, the exited the room to a concerned Grimsby in his face, one again.

"She's doing fine now Grim. The fever was just due to stress, nothing more, it will be gone by tomorrow morning. I bandaged any other minor cuts and scrapes she had. Nothing was broken, the biggest concern would be the ankle and that should be better within a few days. Lots of rest, she will probably be hungry stiff when she wakes up."

"Thank you very much Doctor, I don't know what we would do without you."

"Of course. You know I will always be here to support Erica. It's the least any of us can do after her parents passed away."

* * *

Ariel was broken out of her marveling at the human's skin when she heard that strange hairy creature come bounding up on the beach barking. She dove quickly back into the sea and watched hiding behind a rock just past the breakers as the other man came to shore looking very relieved.

Grimsby, was it? supported Erica as they walked up towards the castle.

"We just gotta forget this whole thing ever happened." The crab was sitting on top of Flounder's head wringing his claws nervously "The sea king will never know. You won't tell him, I won't tell him. I will stay in one piece."

Ariel ignored the crab's worring hoisting herself up to sit on the rock now that the humans were a safe distance away. "I don't know when, I don't know how, but I know something's starting right now. Watch and you'll see, someday I'll be, part of your world!"

The eel's let out two sinister chuckles as their eyes glowed sending a picture of the scene and a report on everything else that had happened that night back to Ursula.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. I can't stand it - it's too easy. The child is in love with a human! And not just any human - a princess! Her daddy'll LOVE that! Ha!" Ursula laughed at her own little joke, "King Triton's headstrong, lovesick girl would make a charming addition to my little garden. A polyp! The expression of Triton's face! This is going to be even better than I had planned."

* * *

Three. It had been three days since Ariel had last seen Erica. Well, today was the third day that is. Ariel's bright blue eyes snapped open and she stretched out in her pink shell bed daydreaming about her princess as she had been doing for the past three days. _Something's going to happen today! Something with Erica, I can feel it on the tides!_ _Maybe I can convince Sebastian to let us swim up by her castle again to wait if she comes to the beach! Oh, then I can see her again, her face, those lips, she's so wonderful-_

The purple sister swam around the sister's shared dressing room mirrors. _Adella and Alana went out earlier to do, oh Oceanus* knows what with make-up again. Counting, that makes six…who are we missing? _Ah ha! "Ariel dear! Time to come out. You've been in there all morning!" called Andrinna, the purple sister.

Much to her, and the other sister's surprise, Ariel emerged immediately from the other side of the kelp curtain. However she still wasn't paying any attention to them and was humming that song she had been singing ever since she snuck back in the morning after Daddy's big storm.

"What is with her lately?" Atina, the orange sister mused what everyone else was thinking aloud. Ariel just continued to hum and ignore them as brushed once through her hair before picking up a flower and turning to leave.

"Oh," she hadn't noticed the large blue merman swimming in the check on his daughters, "Morning Daddy." She twirled around him, taking one last sniff of the undersea flower before putting it behind her bemused father's ear and continuing on her way humming and twirling.

The sisters stared after Ariel with their father who was staring at the sea flower "Oh man." Said Atina, the red sister "She's got it bad."

The other sisters giggled and Triton looked at each of them in turn "Got it? Got what? What has she got?" he stared after his youngest trying to figure out what he was missing.

Andrina just sighed and they all rolled their eyes. Their dad was so clueless sometimes for being the ruler of the ocean. "Isn't it obvious Daddy? Ariel is in love!" she swooned a little at the thought. Their cute little sister finally had a crush on somebody.

"Ariel…in love?"

* * *

Sebastian paced nervously back and forth waving his claws about as he muttered to himself. "O.K. so far, so good. I don't think the king knows." He frowned as a few falling flower petals fell in his face interrupting his rant. "Ohhhhh but it will not be easy keeping something like this a secret so long."

Ariel giggled dreamily, her eyes unfocused, mind obviously somewhere else as she pulled on the flowers petals. "She loves me…she loves me not." She frowned every time that possibility came up with each even petal. "She loves me! I knew it!"

"Ariel! Stop stalking crazy." The crab swam over trying to get her attention, as if it was possible for her to be more smitten with that human.

"I _have_ see her again – tonight! Scuttle knows where she lives!" Ariel perked up at her idea, it was perfect. She sat up from where she was sitting ready to swim up to the surface that instant to talk to the bird.

Sebastian grabbed onto her fin as she tried to swim away "Ariel please! Will you get your head out of the clouds and back here in the sea where it belongs!"

"I'll swim up to her castle. Then Flounder will splash around and get her attention and then with-"

"Down here is you home! Ariel listen to me!" he had to stop her now or else that headstrong mermaid might actually try it! It didn't help that her pesky little friend would probably be perfectly ok with this plan. "The human world, it's a mess. Life under the sea, is better than anything they have up there!" Seeing that his words were getting him nowhere normally he decided to start what he did back. He wasn't just a conductor.

(A/N Uh oh. I sense a song coming on…)

"The seaweed is always greener. In somebody else's lake. You dream about going up there, but that is a big mistake." He sang in a clear tenor and it actually seemed to work for a moment as a few of the fish in the surrounding reef peeked out of their homes to see what was happening. "Just look at the world around you, right here on the ocean floor. Such wonderful things surround you. What more is you lookin' for?"

"Under the sea. Under the sea. Darling it's better, down where it's wetter, take it from me." Ariel slowly floated back down to her rock seat and Sebastian smiled as he strutted. It's working! "Up on the shore they work all day, out in the sun they slave away, while we devotin', full time to floatin', under the sea"

"Down here all the fish is happy, as off through the waves they roll. The fish on the land ain't happy. They sad 'cause they in their bowl. But fish in the bowl is lucky. They in for a worser fate. One day when the boss get hungry, guess who's gon' be on the plate? Under the sea. Under the sea."

Ariel began to grow slightly bored now that the song was back to the chorus. A few other fish had swam out now to join Sebastian in what was quickly becoming an all-out production. As he danced a more open spot in the center of some coral became his stage and more and more fish came to sing.

"The newt play the flute. The carp play the harp. The plaice play the bass and they soundin' sharp. The bass play the brass, the chub play the tub, the fluke is the duke of soul. The ray he can play, the lings on the strings. The trout rockin' out. The blackfish she sings. The smelt and the sprat, they know where it's at. An' oh that blowfish blow!"

Flounder was returning from his 'little surprise' he had planned to where he knew Ariel would be waiting for him and was surprised to see what looked like half the fish in the kingdom singing and dancing around the small red crustacean. Weaving his way through the fray he saw Ariel sitting on the rock away from the music. He frowned at the fact that his friend was being ignored but quickly smiled again, he still had his surprise.

"It's ready! It's back at our cave are you ready to see it?" he said in her ear to be heard over the music. Ariel nodded enthusiastically and the pair swam off quickly, not that Sebastian would have noticed anyways. It was time for the grand finale.

"Each little snail here, know how to wail here, that's why it's hotter, under the water. Ya we in luck here, down in the muck here, under the sea!" The last chord rang out but it fell on an empty space. The fish quickly dispersed seeing as the person they were singing for was gone.

"Ariel? Ariel?" Sebastian looked around out of breath and confused that he didn't see the redheaded mermaid anywhere. "Oh…somebody's got to nail that girl's fins to the floor." He sighed dejectedly to himself.

"Sebastian!" an out of breath voice called. Sebastian perked up as the king's royal seahorse swam up quickly and out of breath. "Sebastian, I've been looking all over for you. I've got an urgent message from the sea king."

Sebastian would have paled if he wasn't naturally red. "The sea king?"

The seahorse nodded and tugged at his claw. "He wants to see you right away. Something about Ariel?"

"He knows!" Sebastian bit his claw and the seahorse swam away already focused on other messages or tasks he had to do.

* * *

King Triton lounged on his throne playing with the flower Ariel had stuck in his hair that morning. "Let's see now...oh, who could the lucky merman be?" he chuckled to himself. _Ariel_. He was slightly saddened, this meant his little girl was growing up…and yet he was so happy! Her daughter had shown no interest whatsoever in the matters of romance up until now. He was just happy that she was happy. _So much like her mother._

He sat up feeling a presence in the room and saw Sebastian loitering in the entry. He cleared his throat and sat up straight hiding the flower behind his back trying to make himself look more like a king and less like the giddy father he was inside (^^ tehe).

"Come in, Sebastian."

As Sebastian took a deep breath to steady his quaking body and nerves Triton checked to make sure the flower wasn't being crush behind him before straightening his trident and body waiting with a regal air around him for his confidant.

Sebastian approached and his shoulders slouched a little bit, "Yes!" he cleared his throat as his voice had gone up about five octaves. "Yes, Your Majesty?" his voice back down in its normal register if not a little hoarse.

Triton's eyebrow raised at the little mishap with the voice but ignored it. Sebastian was assigned to watch over Ariel, he would have to know who she had fallen in love with.

"Now Sebastian, I'm concerned about Ariel." He said slowly leaning back and fiddling with his trident, "Have you noticed she's been acting…peculiar lately?"

Sebastian shifted nervously unnoticed by the king who voice was getting lighter and more teasing, "Peculiar?" _Maybe if I just feign innocence! I don't know anything. I don't know anything._

"You know, moaning about, daydreaming, singing to herself…" he raised an eyebrow looking at Sebastian, "You haven't noticed, hmmm?"

"Oh, well…I-" he said sheepishly.

"Sebastian…" he teased waving a finger at him to get him to come closer. "I know you've been keeping something from me…"

* * *

**I was super anxious to get this up so sorry for stopping there. I have a few more paragraphs done but this was the best place to stop which is why I am hopeful for a second one this weekend. Shout out thanks to, marshalld, Loqhi, fairyheather, Pannthour, Shottyking, Melancholicmelons. And to Emolichic1 and princessanastasiaromanov464 for the P.M.s**

***Oceanus was the Greek and Roman Titan god of the World Ocean.**

**Thanks for reading!**


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